Title: Utopia’s Avenger #1
Author: Oh Se-Kwon
Publisher: TOKYOPOP
ISBN: 1598166700
May Contain Spoilers
Hong Gil-Dong and Danu are bounty hunters. Fortune smiles their way when they rescue Sanghui from a group calling themselves the Bright White Killers. The daughter of a wealthy merchant, they see dollar signs whenever they glance in her direction. To collect their reward, they’ll have to get her home in one piece, but between a flesh eating monster and the Red Dragon Kings, they have their work cut out for them!
This is a brainless action title with inane dialog and hokey plot devices. Gil-Dong is actually a martial arts master who is returning to the kingdom of Yuldo, a utopia that he helped to establish. A group of raiders attacked and conquered Yuldo, leaving a trail of destruction in their wake. Determined to restore his utopia, Gil-Dong needs the bounty money to rebuild. Accompanied by his leering side-kick, Danu, they travel the countryside, collecting bounties to finance their reconstruction plans.
Gil-Dong and Danu are equally dim-witted, as they leave their meal ticket defenseless and alone while they scope out the woods for a place to spend the night. Of course she’s abducted by a vile monster with a voracious appetite, which leads to more martial arts demonstrations. While the fight scenes are an eyeful, the accompanying dialog is laughable. In fact, the book works best when the artwork does all the talking. The battles are fast and furious, with chi-channeling finishing moves like Angel Fire Sword Form! and Black Light Fist of Madness! Quite a mouthful when you’re about to be skewered by a sword.
The art saved the book for me. There’s a ton of detail and the battles just fly by. I felt the creator was a little stingy on larger illustrations, and there didn’t seem to be much variation in the sizes and shapes of the panels.
If you’re looking for a plot, pass right on by this book. However, if you like nicely illustrated battles you might want to check this one out. Just wait until it’s on sale.
Grade: C
Rated for Teen 13+
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